One year after Executive Mayor Cllr Dada Morero launched the High-Impact Service Delivery Programme, the City of Johannesburg is taking the initiative beyond the inner city into all seven regions.
Introduced under the theme “Reimagining Joburg through the Eyes of Residents”, the programme marked a shift to a coordinated, results-driven model aligned to the Inner City Revitalisation Programme. Multidisciplinary teams from municipal departments and entities were deployed to tackle service delivery backlogs, urban decay and lawlessness.
Over the past 12 months, intensified bylaw enforcement led by the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD), municipal law enforcement, and specialised units, including the Bomb Squad, has restored order in several hotspots. Operations targeted hijacked and unsafe buildings, removed hazardous materials and secured high-risk sites, enabling the City to reclaim key public spaces.
Milestones include the removal of illegal structures and informal markets along De Villiers and Pritchard streets to improve pedestrian access and formalise trading; crackdowns on illegal electricity and water connections to safeguard revenue; accelerated infrastructure repairs; and coordinated anti-illegal dumping and building compliance inspections. These actions have improved turnaround times and visibly enhanced cleanliness and safety.
Revenue collection drives have resulted in payment arrangements and acknowledgements of debt from non-compliant property owners, reinforcing accountability. The integrated approach — linking enforcement, infrastructure maintenance and urban management — is now being rolled out across additional wards citywide.
The programme has also strengthened partnerships with stakeholders such as the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) through the G13 Fridays campaign, City Improvement Districts, community organisations, private security, Gauteng Crime Wardens, the Department of Home Affairs and the private sector via the CEO-City Partnership and Clean City campaigns.
Cllr Morero said the anniversary reflects decisive action to reverse decline and restore confidence. “Residents deserve visible change. From safer streets to improved services, we are reclaiming Johannesburg block by block and laying the groundwork for sustainable growth.”
Region F Director Irene Mafune stressed the need to sustain gains to protect economic and academic activity in the inner city.
Hillbrow eKhaya CID representative Bafikile Mkhize welcomed improved coordination and on-the-ground visibility, particularly from the Johannesburg Roads Agency. However, she raised concerns about sewer spillages, dirty water discharged from buildings and incomplete infrastructure projects requiring urgent attention.
With support from about 70 CEOs and business leaders, and oversight from the Presidential Working Group, the City says the expanded programme signals a long-term commitment to cleaner, safer and better-managed communities across Johannesburg.
Written by Dudu Lushaba